Oakland Athletics Josh Reddick and Josh Donaldson celebrate after they both scored the tieing runs on a Seth Smith double in the 9th inning against Detroit Tigers in their ALDS game Wednesday October 10, 2012 in Oakland California

Photo: Lance Iversen, The Chronicle

Oakland Athletics Josh Reddick and Josh Donaldson celebrate after...

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A's players mob Coco Crisp after he hit a game-winning rbi single in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in game 4 of the ALDS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

A's players mob Coco Crisp after he hit a game-winning rbi single...

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Coco Crisp returns to the dugout after scoring the A's first run on a hit by Stephen Drew. The Oakland Athletics played the Detroit Tigers in game 4 of the ALDS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Coco Crisp returns to the dugout after scoring the A's first run on...

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Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp is mobbed by his teammates after he hit a walk-off single to win game four of the American League Divisional Series on Wednesday, October 9, 2012 in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp is mobbed by his teammates after he...

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Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp gets a pie in the face after he hit a walk-off single to win game four of the American League Divisional Series on Wednesday, October 9, 2012 in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp gets a pie in the face after he hit a...

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Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp celebrates after he hit a walk-off single to win game four of the American League Divisional Series on Wednesday, October 9, 2012 in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp celebrates after he hit a walk-off...

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Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp celebrates after he hit a walk-off single to win game four of the American League Divisional Series on Wednesday, October 9, 2012 in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp celebrates after he hit a walk-off...

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Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp celebrates after he hit a walk-off single to win game four of the American League Divisional Series on Wednesday, October 9, 2012 in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp celebrates after he hit a walk-off...

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Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp hits a walk-off single to win game four of the American League Divisional Series on Wednesday, October 9, 2012 in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Oakland Athletics' Coco Crisp hits a walk-off single to win game...

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An A's fan covers his head from the rain during the game against the Tigers. The Oakland Athletics played the Detroit Tigers in game 4 of the ALDS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

An A's fan covers his head from the rain during the game against...

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Oakland Athletics' Josh Reddick (left) gives Coco Crisp a pie in the face after Crisp hit a walk-off single to win game four of the American League Divisional Series on Wednesday, October 9, 2012 in Oakland, Calif.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Oakland Athletics' Josh Reddick (left) gives Coco Crisp a pie in...

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Pitcher A.J. Griffin catches a foul pop up in the fifth inning hit by Quintin Berry. The Oakland Athletics played the Detroit Tigers in game 4 of the ALDS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Pitcher A.J. Griffin catches a foul pop up in the fifth inning hit...

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Stephen Drew dives toward third trying to stretch a double but was out on the scoring play. The Oakland Athletics played the Detroit Tigers in game 4 of the ALDS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Stephen Drew dives toward third trying to stretch a double but was...

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Coco Crisp hits his walk-off, game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in game 4 of the ALDS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

Coco Crisp hits his walk-off, game-winning single in the bottom of...

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A's players mob Coco Crisp after he hit a game-winning rbi single in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in game 4 of the ALDS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

A's players mob Coco Crisp after he hit a game-winning rbi single...

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A's players mob Coco Crisp after he hit a game-winning rbi single in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Oakland Athletics defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-3 in game 4 of the ALDS at O.co Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday, October 10, 2012.

Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle

A's players mob Coco Crisp after he hit a game-winning rbi single...

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Coco Crisp (left) welcomes his onrushing teammates after his ninth-inning single sent home Seth Smith with the game-winner.

Photo: Beck Diefenbach, Special To The Chronicle

Coco Crisp (left) welcomes his onrushing teammates after his...

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Josh Donaldson exults after scoring the tying run. In the seventh, he made a terrific play, diving to grab a Jhonny Peralta shot and throwing him out from his knees.

For those who just cottoned to baseball's best story, Oakland doesn't do things the easy way. The A's wring every bit of drama out of every game, and Wednesday, in a win-or-go-home situation, Oakland took that to the nth degree.

For much of the late going, the A's postseason exit looked assured. Then they did their thing, that old walk-off magic, scoring three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Tigers and tie the American League Division Series at two games apiece.

"It's like a story that has no ending yet," said A's closer Grant Balfour, who stayed in the dugout as long as possible in the ninth and exhorted his teammates to envision a walk-off win. "I'm hoping for an ending right at the end of October ... put a period at the end of the story."

Coco Crisp, who provided three of the A's league-leading 14 walk-off wins during the regular season, drove in Seth Smith from second with a two-out base hit through the hole at second. Smith had tied the game with a double off Tigers closer Jose Valverde.

"We give it 100 percent to the final out," Crisp said. "That's been our M.O. all year. We're not going to change that."

Third-base coach Mike Gallego, whose poor decision earlier in the game cut short an Oakland rally, sent Smith tearing around third to set off a celebration on the field and in the stands.

"My hand hurts from so many high-fives," Gallego said of his own postgame. "You never want to be the goat. That's the excitement of playoff baseball."

Crisp took the obligatory pie to the face from Reddick during his national postgame interview.

"Everyone knew he would come through in that situation, like he did all year," said Reddick, who opened the inning with a base hit.

How does Reddick explain the team's ability to come through in the last at-bat?

"I've heard people say we're not smart enough to know when to lose a game," Reddick said.

Balfour had to be coaxed away from the dugout to warm up for the 10th if the game went to extra innings. The A's animated, vocal closer finally went to the bullpen right before Crisp's hit, but he delivered his message well before that. "He was hitting me, hugging me," Reddick said. "He kept telling us, 'We're not going to lose this game, we're not going lose this game!' We didn't need anyone to tell us that, but it was good to hear."

Balfour never entered the game, of course, but he was just as fired up as if he had.

"I was getting crazy down there," he said. "I want it as much as everyone else. I was telling the guys, no disrespect (to Valverde), 'We're going to rock this guy's world tonight, believe it. Every one of you put your mind to it, a walk-off victory, see it and believe it."

In a series that has featured terrific pitching and close games, every small mistake was magnified, and so it again transpired Wednesday. Oakland looked to have a nice little thing going in the sixth, when Crisp got to second when Prince Fielder misplayed his grounder to first. Stephen Drew then hit a ball into the gap in right, scoring Crisp.

Gallego, however, waved a hard-charging Drew toward third - and he was out by a mile. Instead of having a man in scoring position with nobody out and Yoenis Céspedes coming up, the A's had no one on and one out.

"That's a cardinal sin, you do not make the first out or the last out at third," Gallego said. "It wasn't a good call, but at the time, I felt I couldn't stop him, either, or I would have hung him out to dry."

Melvin says Drew was going on his own.

"It wasn't Gallego sending him," he said. "He just ran."

The gaffe brought back memories of other playoff misadventures on the basepaths during the Billy Beane era: Jeremy Giambi's failure to slide against the Yankees in the 2001 ALDS, Eric Byrnes and Miguel Tejada and their confused baserunning in Game 3 at Boston the 2003 ALDS - but this time, Oakland did not lose as a result.

The Tigers scored first - and did so for the first time in the series - when Alex Avila doubled to open the third, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Omar Infante and scored on a base hit to left by Austin Jackson. That was only the second run Detroit scored via a hit in the series.

The other was Avila's homer in Game 1.

Detroit's next run was not ever in question: Prince Fielder, robbed by two sensational catches on Tuesday night (by Crisp and Céspedes) and by a fine play at shortstop by Drew, put it where no one would get it unless they'd bought a ticket. He crushed an 0-2 fastball from A.J. Griffin into the seats above the scoreboard in right.

In the seventh, Donaldson made a sensational play at third, diving for a shot down the line by Jhonny Peralta, then throwing from his knees past the bag to get Peralta.

And now for Game 5, a must-win for both teams, Jarrod Parker vs. Detroit's Justin Verlander for the right to advance to the American League Championship Series.

Asked if the pressure has shifted to the Tigers after the A's last-second heroics, Reddick said, "There's pressure, but they have their best pitcher on the mound. As do we."